


Thin Ice

by Lackyducks



Series: Winter Writing Challenge [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Joel is a Stressed, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Sensory Overload, and Elyse is a good person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-07 00:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8775688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lackyducks/pseuds/Lackyducks
Summary: Everyone needs a little break sometimes, even Joel.
Especially Joel.





	

**Author's Note:**

> holla at something vetoing both of the prompts because i have been stressed and needed to vent. theyre in there, just not the main focus. ill also be combining more prompts for a while, at least until school ends for the holidays and i get more free time.
> 
> day 04 - books  
> day 05 - ice skating
> 
> prompts from [here!](http://snowcollection.deviantart.com/journal/30-Day-Winter-Challenge-339205638)

Joel sits, silently reading. His legs are tucked neatly under the bench, foot tapping to the beat of the too cheerful Christmas songs booming in the hall. His head rests against the wall behind him, curls falling forward from the stress of the day. Organising eight people to go ice skating could, in fact, be a pain. Who could’ve guessed? Especially when you start to add cameras to the equation, and Joel trying to work out where the videos could fit in their schedule and he is  _ very  _ stressed. 

Their voices are still all too obvious to him. They aren’t exactly the quietest group, playing it up for the cameras. Whether it be short clips, longer things. There are so many expectations on you, that Joel simply doesn’t feel he can manage right now. If he had his way, he’d still be back at the cabin. But, he does not get his way, and he is here, and it is loud and he feels like he’s about two steps from a full sensory overload. His jeans are too rough on his skin, his shirt too scratchy, the music deafening and even the book pages feel like  _ too  _ **_much._ **

He won’t say anything. 

He can’t do that to them, ruin their fun with his dumb problems. Sure, they’ve had talks about this, but there is content to produce and actual fun to be had and he can’t let himself get in the way of that. It was hard enough to get the time off for all of them and now he expects to just be allowed to not do anything? It’s hard to focus on the words, they blur and shift as he blinks and he can’t tell if it’s his focus or his hands shaking. 

All too suddenly does he realise that it is too  much. 

For a moment it's like he's been dazed, dazzled by bright lights (was the room this bright before? The LEDs this harsh?) Then he can feel every inch of his body and every sensation and all the noise and the people and-

“Joel?” He opens his eyes but the world is shaking and he can't  _ see.  _ “Joel, can I touch you?” the voice asks and Joel shakes his head. He doesn't want to be touched, no more touch, too much touch- “Okay, sh, I won't touch you. Just keep listening to me, okay? Good boy.” 

He can't understand why the voice isn't recognisable to him. Surely he must know it? He knows the small hint of pride at being called ‘good’. The voice is disconnected from its owner - buried beneath the layers and layers of stimuli. 

“Right, can you get up for me? Joel?” He obeys, shakily, and realises now how he's trembling fully, hands shaking and mind hurting, “Good, I'm going to try and take you somewhere quieter. Do you want to head outside?” He nods, and the voice hums reassuringly. “That's good, come on, love, I'm right here.” 

The first few steps are awful. They hurt, he can feel every single vibration travelling through his body, pounding on his head. He has to stop a few times, whimper and clutch at himself. Each time he hears the apologetic coo, the music is further away, but still too loud, the swish of a door opening and he steps through.

Outside feels far better. He focuses on that, and it's as if he's put on a buffer, a glass wall around him for protection. He sits down, finds a surface of some kind beneath him. It's a lot quieter, a lot stiller. There's still the feeling that it could all flare back up, all get too much again, but he lets himself bask in the calm.

When he opens his eyes, he notices it's evening. The lights are dim, an orange glow above him and the violet hues of the day. He blinks, examines. He can see how the bush sways in the gentle breeze, the glitter of frost forming on the ground. Now he thinks about it, he's kinda cold. There's a nudge, and he accepts the phone being pushed into his hands.

**_Any better?_ ** Is written plainly, in the google search bar. He scoffs, but smiles, looks up at them and nods. It's Elyse, with her hat half falling off and her gentle smile contagious. Her eyes hold a warm concern, and he finally sighs, let's himself fall onto her side. 

It's about then, actually, he realises that he has headphones on. They're incredibly light, puffy bases protecting his ears and not too tight on his head. He listens again, hears the dulled sounds of cars, of the breeze and talking. The phone is taken, then returned.

**_Overload?_ **

**Yeah.**

Her look is sympathetic, then she glances around. They're obviously outside the ice rink. He's sure if he looked up he'd see the sign for it. 

**_I'll drive you back, would you mind Matt staying with you at the cabin?_ ** Joel gives Elyse a look and she shakes her head, adds,  **_He's getting pretty bad too._ ** And Joel realises that Elyse already knew, already expected this to happen. He can't help his comfort that she manages to look out for them. He feels an inkling of stress return but makes sure to squash it back down again. He takes the phone.

**Of course he can come.**

Elyse nods, types back,  **_Will you be okay whilst I get them?_ ** Joel has to think about that one, admittedly. Eventually nods, and Elyse returns it. She stands, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around Joel's shoulders. The weight feels almost reassuring. 

“Be good, ‘kay?” She says, her voice still ever so light and slightly hard to hear, but he does. He nods to that too, not trusting himself to speak. She leaves, but not with lots of looks over her shoulders. Joel finds it bizarrely endearing. 

She's not gone for long - which is good because Joel's ability to work everything up into a panic never fails him and this is no different. He feels justifiably worse in the however long it takes for her to leave and return with Matt. Now Joel’s been clued in, he can just as easily see the signs of an impending Matt meltdown. The nervous eyes, drawn in shoulders, fidgety hands. This trip must be having their effects on them.

Matt offers a wave as they approach, and Joel waves back, standing to follow after the two of them. The car isn’t that far away, and when they get inside Joel finally tests the headphones, lifting one up slightly before sliding them off, around his neck and sighing. He still has Elyse’s jacket and clutches at it. He and Matt sit in the back, Elyse reaches over to turn off the radio before it can even turn on. Her eyes briefly close, she recalibrates herself, and then she sits up, turns on the car. 

If the vibrations of the car weren’t such a hassle to deal with, Joel could’ve easily fallen asleep. Snow was falling outside the window, the engine thrumming and the moving lights overhead. It got rougher once they went off road, but it was still, well. Nice.

When they get home, Elyse makes them both drinks and settles them immediately in bed. Matt ends up cuddled into Joel, head nestled on his shoulder and hand resting on Joel’s chest. When Elyse comes back in, with a weighted blanket (‘just in case’) and glasses of water she moved onto one of the dressers, she smiles at the sight of the two. Joel’s eyes are barely open, Matt’s aren’t and he doesn’t really know if Matt’s even asleep. However, he’s far calmer. They can both appreciate that.

“When are you going to be back?” Joel asks, because Elyse is hovering by the door patiently waiting for her dismissal. 

“Don’t know, when the others are ready.” She shrugs, leans on the doorframe. “I trust you guys can go to sleep? And text me if you need me?” Joel nods, however much he feels like he might be lying. He knows he probably will.  “You better.” She warns, “Sleep well, okay?”

“Yeah.” Joel smiles. She returns it with a nod. With one final look, she stands up properly and lets the door shut quietly behind her. And with Matt having migrated onto his chest fully, and the quiet of the room, Joel does.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is [here!](http://lackyducks.tumblr.com)


End file.
